Jury convicts activist who took chickens from Purdue plant
SANTA ROSA, Calif. — Jurors on Wednesday found animal rights activist Zoe Rosenberg guilty of trespassing and conspiracy for taking four chickens from a Northern California processing plant, a spokesperson for a group representing her said.
Rosenberg, 23, did not deny taking the animals but said she was saving them from a cruel situation. She faces more than five years in prison. Rosenberg and her lawyers had said they would appeal if she was convicted, said Lauren Gazzola, a spokeswoman for the Animal Activist Legal Defense Project.
“Sonoma County spent more than six weeks and hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars protecting a multi-billion dollar corporation from rescuing four chickens worth less than $25,” Chris Carraway, Rosenberg’s attorney, said in a statement.
Rosenberg, an activist with Direct Action Everywhere, pulled chickens from Petaluma Poultry in 2023. The company supplies chickens to Perdue Farms, one of the nation’s largest poultry suppliers to major grocery chains.
Her lawyers argued that the case was not about whether she took the chickens — her organization filmed and released footage — but why she did it. Prosecutors, meanwhile, said she engaged in illegal behavior, regardless of her motivation.
She was on trial for two counts of misdemeanor trespassing, one count of tampering with a vehicle and one charge of criminal conspiracy.
The trial took place in Sonoma County, where agriculture is a major industry. The co-founder of Direct Action Everywhere was convicted two years ago for his role in protests against factory farms in Petaluma.
